The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus and a toner case arranged in this image forming apparatus.
An electrographic image forming apparatus carries out developing process by supplying a toner (a developer) from a development device to an image carrier (for example, a photosensitive drum) carrying a toner image. The toner used for such a developing process is supplied from a toner case to the development device. In general, this toner case is attachably/detachably installed to the development device, for example, so as to be easily replaced when the internal toner is run out.
The above-mentioned toner case may be provided with a case side connector (an information chip) storing various information, such as a serial number. In such a case, an apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus is provided with a main body side connector. By carrying out communication between the main body side connector and case side connector, various information is read from the case side connector and various information is written to the case side connector.
As a communication manner between the main body side connector and case side connector, there are wireless communication and contact communication. In the wireless communication, a relatively expensive wireless communication board is needed, and then, a cost is increased. Therefore, the contact communication has an advantage of constructing the image forming apparatus at a lower cost than the wireless communication.
In the contact communication between the main body side connector and case side connector as mentioned above, in order to avoid communication failure, it is important to securely contact a case side terminal arranged in the case side connector to a main body side terminal arranged in the main body side connector whenever the toner case is attached to/detached from the development device. On the other hand, as mentioned above, the electrographic image forming apparatus carries out the developing process by supplying the toner from the development device to the image carrier. At this time, In order to supply a suitable amount of the toner from the development device to the image carrier, it is important to arrange the development device at a suitable position to the image carrier.